Review
Stone Age
Stone Age shows its age beside newer worker-placement games, yet it remains a clear, competitive game that is easy to pick up. A nine-year-old can understand it — and still make you regret giving them an opening.
- Published
- 2008
- Designer
- Bernd Brunnhofer
- Publisher
- Hans im Glück, 999 Games, asmodee
- Players
- 2–4
- Playing time
- 90 min
When the table asks for something a little more serious, Stone Age arrives like the grandfather of modern worker placement and takes its seat without making a fuss. I am not especially susceptible to retro charm, and its age shows next to newer games; still, it has a clean beginning, middle and end that gives a session proper shape.
At its heart, it is worker placement: you put your people into the available choices and try to make better use of the round than everyone else. You do not need a knot of complicated ideas to see what the game wants from you. Look at the spaces, decide where the value is, make your move.
I am not especially susceptible to retro charm, and its age shows next to newer games; still, it has a clean beginning, middle and end that gives a session proper shape.
TheCuttlefish
Then the squeeze begins. Those spaces are not shared kindly, so every choice you make is also something you deny another player; that is where the competition lives, and where the little sting appears. A nine-year-old can learn the flow quickly, but they will not be handing you the game. They will block your route and enjoy it.
I would not put it up against the best modern games in the genre, but Stone Age remains a very good game: easy to grasp, satisfyingly complete, and sharp enough to leave a small bruise by the end.
I would not put it up against the best modern games in the genre, but Stone Age remains a very good game: easy to grasp, satisfyingly complete, and sharp enough to leave a small bruise by the end.
TheCuttlefish
Source: BoardGameGeek
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